Rolling in the Deep
by jandc1987
Summary: After a year in America, Alex Rider is back. He heads to Germany on behalf of MI6 and runs into danger and memories.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic ever so don't judge too harshly :) Review please!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything (yet!) and I'm not making any money.

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><p>It was a gorgeous spring day. It was at least 80 degrees, the sky was almost obscenely blue, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. To almost all of the 600 students at Central High School in a borough of San Francisco, California it was a perfect day. And all but one student was eagerly awaiting the shrill ring that would signify the end of the day, and the start of the weekend.<p>

The only student that was positively dreading the upcoming days off was one Alex Rider. Days off meant struggling to fill the long hours, eventual boredom, and finally the memories that clung to his subconscious like the ever-present sweat clung to his skin in this miserably hot place. In truth, Alex hated weekends, holidays, and most of all, summer vacation, which was right around the corner. Unlike most teenagers, he loved school. He paid attention, participated, and was on the fast track to becoming his class valedictorian.

During these breaks Alex made himself as busy as possible. Boredom meant dwelling on the past, and he refused. So he filled his time with hobbies like karate, boxing, surfing and swimming. He also recently acquired a dirt bike and spent much of his time riding out at the local track. Moreover, he was (finally) allowed to take piloting lessons with his guardian, Edward Pleasure. In addition to all this Alex had a job at a local sporting goods store that he had held for almost eight months.

Alex was so involved in his schoolwork (a ten page essay on Alexander the Great) that he barely noticed when the bell finally rang. He quickly gathered up his belongings and headed to dump them off in his locker.

Alex put his books away, grabbed his backpack, and headed toward the student parking lot. He spotted his used silver Chevrolet Malibu, a gift to him from his guardians for his sixteenth birthday, which was a few months ago. Leaning against the passengers side door was a very pretty girl, a year older than Alex, with dark hair. It was Sabina, Alex's best friend and almost sister.

He knew that when he first moved here, everyone thought he and Sabina were a couple, or would become one. Alex realized very quickly that he really didn't have any romantic feelings for Sab, or anyone, for that matter. So they were best friends, she being the only one close to his age that knew about all the hell he'd gone through in the past.

When he finally reached the car and unlocked it Sabina made a rude noise and huffed, albeit teasingly, "Took you long enough!"

Alex rolled his eyes and got into the drivers seat. Within minutes Alex had dropped off Sab and was heading to work.

Smith's Sports and Outdoors was located on the outskirts of the of the small suburb, where beach bums met the outdoorsy type. The store stocked everything from surfboards to shotguns.

The actual building was rather large and had log siding on the outside. There was a large parking lot in front and in back there was a small employee lot. Alex pulled towards the back. He made his way through the employee entrance, passing his boss Jay's office on the way to the employee lockers. He could hear Jay yelling at someone about fishing rods and smiled to himself. After stowing his possessions away and glancing around to make sure he was alone, he changed his shirt to the standard red polo with "Smith's" embroidered across the right breast.

He clocked in then made his way to the left front of the store, the athletic department, where he worked. On his way he passed the gun counter and, like always, shuddered inwardly. Alex was determined to never touch a gun again. He had too many bad memories.

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><p>Thanks for reading! I've already written like five more chapters so I hope you liked it!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

New chapter already! Its a lot longer too!

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything or make any money, but I'm working on it :)

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><p>When Alex had first applied for a job, Jay Smith wasn't too sure about him. Not that Jay had any solid reasoning as to why he found himself so apprehensive. The boy was polite to a fault, well-mannered, good-looking, and Jay knew his accent would bring in the young ladies. The boy just put him on edge. Jay finally figured it out. It was Alex's eyes. They looked like Jay's cousin Bill's had after he came back from the war. His eyes were too old, they had seen too much. Jay often wondered what had happened to Alex because he knew he was way too young to have been in the military. When it came down to it Jay decided to hire Alex because he knew his cousin had a hell of a time getting a regular job after quitting the Army. It was the least he could do, he thought.<p>

Alex spent most of his shift stocking equipment and helping customers who needed assistance. Occasionally, when Alex had down time he reviewed his schedule for the next day.

6 am-Wake up, go for jog

7.30-Shower, eat

8.30 to 12.30-Karate, boxing, weight training

1.30 to 6.30-Work

7.30-Dinner

8.30 to 10.30-Homework

Alex knew he was a machine, but his strict schedules kept him sane. He wouldn't, couldn't give into the depression that was constantly clawing at him, threatening to pull him under. He had decided to continue with karate and physical training as a reminder to himself that his past has not been some insane nightmare. That Ian, Jack, Yassen, and even MI6, had been real. It was for the memories of the people he loved and lost that kept him from becoming a blubbering mess. It allowed him to power through the constant pain he felt.

It was almost closing time when Alex's perfectly planned life was thrown horribly off track. All the employees were cleaning up and preparing to go home when a bell chimed, signaling that someone had entered the building. Alex heard the footsteps heading toward the back of the store and didn't even bother looking up.

He heard the voice of the customer conversing with Jay, but thought nothing of it until he heard his own name. Alex went immediately into spy mode, cursing himself the whole time. "_Who the fuck was asking about me?" _he thought ducking around looking for some place to eavesdrop. Alex eventually hid behind a rack of camo hunter jackets, not far from the talking men. He listened.

"…yes, he works here." his boss Jay said irritably.

"Is he here now?" the other man asked coolly. "I must speak to him, it's a family issue."

Alex vaguely recognized the voice. It was definitely a Brit, and his words carried a thinly veiled threat, _Let me see Alex or unspeakable things will happen to you_.

Alex swallowed and thought furiously, who the hell was this? What did they want? And most importantly, were they going to hurt someone? Alex decided he wasn't going to someone who had an issue with him take it out on someone else.

Never Again.

Alex steeled himself and stepped out from behind the coat rack.

"I'm here." Alex announced defensively. "Who's asking?"

Both Jay and the unidentified man spun around in surprise. But their surprise was nothing compared to Alex's. The man inquiring about him was John Crawley!

"You!" Alex cried wildly.

"Uhh…hello Alex…" Crawley said lamely.

"Perhaps we could speak somewhere more privately?" suggested Crawley glancing around at the growing number of eyes watching their exchange.

Alex nodded once and silently led the way to the employee parking lot, stopping to punch out and grab his schoolbag.

Alex was angry, sure, but a little part of him, the part that had been dead for over a year now, was curious. Why was Crawley here? Was MI6 approaching him again? I had been over a year since he left England. Why now? And as soon as he and Crawley were alone Alex bombarded the man with just those questions, although perhaps a little more colourfully.

Crawley waited till Alex was quite done before answering.

"I'm here on behalf of MI6,"

Anger flared up in Alex but his torrent of curses was silenced by a raised hand.

"Let me finish," Crawley interjected quickly. Alex nodded and gestured for him to continue.

"I am here an behalf of MI6, but they didn't send me," Crawley explained ", I came to see you on my own."

Alex was confused.

"What for?" Alex challenged.

Crawley looked around at the empty parking lot thoughtfully before speaking.

"Is there somewhere that we could sit down and talk without being overheard?" he asked finally.

Alex racked his brain.

"Yeah, actually. There's a diner across the street."

"Excellent." Crawley replied.

So five minutes later Alex and Crawley were sitting in a corner booth of a small nondescript diner, Crawley sipping a coffee and Alex nursing a Coke.

Alex spoke first.

"So what's this all about?" he asked wearily.

Crawley studied him for a moment before launching into his tale, with Alex growing more and more bemused by the second.

The gist of the story was a very rich (big surprise) German named Johannes Schrecklich was insane. MI6 knew he was doing something, something horrible, but they weren't sure what yet. All their attempts to infiltrate Schrecklich's compound in Bavaria were, to put it lightly, unsuccessful. Several tidbits of information had been gleaned of course, but nothing of very much interest, or so they thought.

"So why do you need me?" Alex asked, dreading the answer.

"Well," Crawley began nervously ",one piece of information that was gathered is Schrecklich has, well…"

Crawley paused suddenly looking unsure.

"What?" demanded Alex, his interest piqued.

"He _likes _young men." Crawley said quickly, his eyes averted.

"Young _blonde_ men."

Alex looked at Crawley in disbelief. They wanted him to do WHAT? Alex debated in silence for perhaps 30 seconds before reaching his conclusion.

"No," he said simply

Crawley didn't look surprised. He simply nodded and sipped his coffee. Just as Alex was beginning to calm down Crawley spoke, quite suddenly.

"How are you getting along at school?"

The question seemed innocent enough, but like everything MI6 does, Alex was sure there was something behind it.

"Fine." he replied. It was easy to lie. He wasn't all that popular. Most people thought he was too strange, too quiet, and too studious.

"Really?" Crawley asked somewhat snidely. "Because, like it or not MI6 has been keeping an eye on you to make sure you were safe from any remnants of Scorpia who could be looking for revenge."

Alex felt a jolt of several emotions, anger, relief, sadness.

"We know what kind of life you've been living and, frankly, it isn't much of a life at all." Crawley stated bluntly.

Alex wanted to argue, to tell this man off, but he couldn't. It was the truth. Alex didn't belong to this world, to Sabina's, Jay's, or any of the kids at schools world. It was all fake, all pretend. He was caught in an ocean of lies and, MI6, CIA, ASIS, were the ones with some shreds of truth. Half truths, maybe, but truths.

Alex imagined for a moment that he never went to Cornwall, to Sayle's compound there. He'd be dead along with all the other schoolchildren. The world would get some story about a tragic accident. England would be quarantined. Millions dead. But that didn't happen. Alex happened. And he kicked some motherfucking ass. He lost so much though. Every adult that he loved and trusted was snatched away by, now that he thought about it, Scorpia. But Alex bested them. He did, and could still do what no one else could. He could save the world.

Alex took a deep breath before turning to face Crawley.

"What do I have to do?"

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><p>Thanks for reading! R&amp;R!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews and alerts! This one is quite a bit shorter than last time but the next one should be longer. I also put a description of Alex (can't believe I forgot that anyway!) for bloody-black-valentine :)

Disclaimer: I am still not the owner and there is no money being made.

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><p>It should have been simple really. Go home, sit down the Pleasures, and explain that he was going back to England, back to MI6, and back to the life he left behind. Wait, what the hell was he thinking? No wonder Sabina and Liz were in tears and Edward looked truly disappointed. But Alex knew that he wasn't going to relent. He didn't belong here. He never did, and no matter how hard he tries he never will.<p>

So with a heavy heart he bid them goodnight and went to his room to pack his belongings for the flight tomorrow morning. Just as Alex was putting several pairs of stylishly ripped jeans into his suitcase, there was a knock at the door.

"Yeah?" Alex called sullenly

The door opened but Alex refused to look at who entered, even though he already knew.

Edward Pleasure was an intelligent man. He questioned that intelligence when he first agreed to take Alex in but something told him to do it anyway. Alex needed a family. However, as time went on Edward could see that Alex was living a life so devoid of, well, life, that he couldn't believe the boy was anything less than a zombie. Edward once commented on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder but Alex quickly discouraged him. He assured Edward that he was fine. Edward believed him. But this, this was too much. Alex was going back to the people who ruined his life! Edward knew that the decision to go was all Alex's but he needed to protect his family. He wouldn't let Liz or Sabina get hurt.

"Alex," Edward began softly "I haven't a clue as to why you've decided to go back to them…"

Edward paused, regarding the youth who was arranging his clothes. He decided to continue.

"Alex, as long as you associate yourself with these people I can't have you around my family…" Edward said this very quickly and looked for some sort of reaction from the boy, but all he could find was a cold sort of resignation.

"I know," Alex murmured.

Edward couldn't believe it. He was really going.

After Edward left his former room Alex slumped down on the bed. He knew this would happen the moment he decided to accept this job. Still, it hurt. Alex needed someone he could confide in, someone who wouldn't deny him or turn around and run. But enough with self-pity, Alex decided. He had things to do.

The next morning came too quickly for Alex. Crawley came to pick up Alex and they headed to the airport. Crawley had all the right documents (fake of course), that listed them as father and son, even though they looked nothing alike. They were around the same height, around 5' 10'', but Alex had a more muscular build, sun-bleached hair and tanned skin. Crawley was thin and pale with dark brown hair. The only real similarity between the two was an identical blank expression. Getting through security and TSA was a bitch but soon Alex found himself in first class for the 13 hour flight to London.

Alex slept most of the way, waking only to eat and dwell on the next phase of his plan to get back into MI6. Begging. After sitting in that damn diner for several hours, it was still the best they could come up with. Of course, if he was refused Crawley might lose his job. Alex didn't think it would be a problem though, he had enough experience in begging.

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><p>Alex is going back to England! Yay! R&amp;R please.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

New, much longer chapter! Thanks for the reviews, alerts, and favorites!

Disclaimer: My blackmailing attempt has been unsucessful so far, so no, I don't own anything and I'm still not making any money.

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><p>When the plane finally touched down and the passengers were shuffled off, Alex felt a distinct feeling of longing in his stomach. When he finally got a look out a giant bay window at Heathrow he realized he was <em>home<em>.

Crawley and Alex hurried through the airport, stopping once for Crawley to rent a car. When the pair finally made it outside it had begun to rain. Alex smiled to himself.

The car Crawley rented was a black Mercedes. Typical.

The ride to Liverpool Street was way too short in Alex's opinion. The Royal and General looked like it always had, and Alex wasn't sure if the felt good about that or not.

Crawley pulled into the parking garage and Alex was quickly ushered into the elevator, all the while the sick feeling in he had since arriving was getting more intense. When the elevator stopped Crawley led the way down the familiar hallway and stopped in front of the same nondescript door on room 1605.

Crawley turned to Alex, "Wait here until I come for you." Alex nodded and stepped out of the way, leaning against the wall. Crawley knocked twice and entered, shutting the door behind him. Alex immediately tried to eavesdrop but found it impossible. The room was soundproof.

After what seemed like hours, but in reality was only about fifteen minutes, the door opened and Crawley stepped out.

"Mrs. Jones will see you now." he announced. Alex nodded and took a deep breath before pushing open the door.

The first thing Alex thought was that Mrs. Jones looked almost exactly the same as she did when he left. Same hair and same type of suit. The only difference was her expression which was frozen in shock, however she quickly recovered and jumped to her feet.

"Alex!" she cried "Crawley said he ran into someone but…" She stopped speaking.

"Sit, please." she asked, awkwardly gesturing to the chairs in front of her desk. Alex sat and prepared to speak.

"Mrs. Jones," he began nervously, "I ran into Crawley, and, well, he told me you had a situation that I might, ya know, be good for…" he finished quickly, looking at his hands. Why was he acting like this? He should be demanding to be assigned.

"Alex," began Mrs. Jones gently "After everything you've been through, are you sure you want to come back?"

Alex sighed, he had been expecting this, and there was no point in lying.

"Listen, I've tried, I really have, but I don't belong to that world. I really don't. I know what this world can do, what it can take from someone, and honestly, I have nothing left to lose. I have a hell of a lot to gain though. I want to be an agent, I know I can't technically work for you until after university, but I want to do missions like I did, well maybe not as frequently. I want to stay here in London. Get an apartment, go to school, and now that I'm 16 you can make it so I don't need a guardian…*" Alex was babbling and Mrs. Jones was torn between amusement and surprise. "All I need is what Ian left me to pay for bills and stuff…"

Mrs. Jones regarded the boy, who incidentally didn't look like much of a boy anymore. The boy who saved so many lives and had everyone he loved ripped from his grasp, practically begging for the job that caused it all.

Honestly, she was half tempted to deny him. To tell him to go home, but that got her thinking. What home? Alex wouldn't be here if the Pleasures had been a home for him.

Mrs. Jones sighed and closed her eyes a moment before responding.

"Alex, If you honestly want to do this I won't stop you. I will arrange for you to be paid for your time in Ian's name, with you having access to the money he left behind. However, as soon as you return from this latest mission I insist you begin standard therapy sessions like all other full time agents."

She gazed at the boy to gauge his reaction. He looked, well not happy, Mrs. Jones knew that he hasn't been happy in a very long time. No, the look on his face was satisfaction that he succeeded. It reminded the woman of herself.

Mrs. Jones ordered that Alex be put up at a hotel not far from headquarters, with him being fully briefed the next morning. Alex gratefully accepted the offer for a ride to his hotel. He didn't want to carry his possessions all that way.

Crawley drove him. Alex could tell that he was happy. He had gotten one of the most successful agents MI6 ever had back and he still had his job. Alex leaned his head against the cool glass of the passenger side window and looked at London crawling by. He missed this place. The sights, the weather, and the people.

Around 15 minutes later Alex was checked into the hotel, lounging and thinking of going for a walk when it occurred to him what he really wanted to do.

One ecstatic phone call and half an hour later Alex was in Hyde Park. When Alex got to the designated meeting spot it took him a minute to spot his best friend, and was shocked at what he saw.

Tom Harris had grown at least half a foot and looked like he spent a lot of time in the gym. His hair was black and shaggy as always, framing a more defined face, and his eyes were still as bright as Alex remembered.

Alex had no idea how much Tom missed him, how much Tom looked up to his friend, and how crushed he ws when Alex left with barely a goodbye. That's why he decided to bulk up and step up. His friend was a hero to the world but Tom made himself the hero of Brookland. He stood up to the bullies and gossips who had once taunted both Alex, himself, and he rest of the school. He fast became the most popular kid and even the teachers went out of their way to give him slack on his schoolwork because of all the good he had done at the school.

When Alex finally reached Tom he found himself unable to say anything but "Hey."

"Hey." Tom replied with a smile. Before the boys knew what they were doing they were locked in a tight embrace**. When they finally broke the hug the boys seemed slightly embarrassed at the display of affection, but quickly burst into laughter.

Alex and Tom spent the next few hours catching up, with Tom doing most of the talking, mainly about girls. Alex couldn't help but feel a little bit lighter, laughing at his best friends stories and anitcs.

After making a promise to call Tom as soon as he came back from Germany, Alex parted with his friend and headed back to the hotel. That night, after Alex ate and showered and was laying in the hotel bed, he realized that he hadn't been this happy in a while. He missed the feeling.

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><p>Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated! I just have a couple of story notes:<p>

* Where I come from a child can be emancipated at 16, but I'm not sure if its the same in England

**Not Tom and Alex slash! Just two guys who love each other in the friend way. Like a bromance.


	5. Chapter 5

Another chapter! Its kind of slow still but we're going to be getting into the actual plot soon.

Disclaimer: Nope and nada.

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><p>The next morning Alex woke up around seven o' clock. After hovering in between sleep and wakefulness for around an hour he crawled out of bed and threw on a dark pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt before heading downstairs to the hotel restaurant for breakfast.<p>

After acquiring toast, a muffin, and a glass of orange juice, Alex sat at a table in the back with a pretty good view of the whole room. Since he didn't have to meet Mrs. Jones until nine thirty, Alex decided to "people watch". People watching is basically what it sounds like: you watch individuals and make up stories about them. It was something Alex picked up in America, and it kept him observant and entertained. It was something to pass the time until he had to leave.

When nine o' clock rolled around Alex glanced outside and saw that is was sunny and bright. He decided to walk the short distance to the Royal and General. Twenty minutes later Alex was seated in front of Mrs. Jones desk preparing for his briefing.

"Alex," Mrs. Jones began "I know that Crawley gave you the basic rundown of the situation with Schrecklich, but there are a few more details that I'd like us to go over."

Alex nodded.

"Firstly, Mr. Crawley neglected to mention that Schrecklich manufactures cosmetics and anti-ageing serums. His company is called J&S Cosmetics, perhaps you've heard of them?"

The name sounded familiar but Alex wasn't exactly an expert in make-up brands.

"Anyway," Mrs. Jones continued "his brands are popular around the world and one month from now he will be re-releasing all their products with a special new ingredient. We were tipped off that the "special ingredient" might be a poison, or something of that sort, but none of our agents were able to get close enough to find anything out."

"The second thing is that there have been a around 1000 reported cases of disappearances of people from both Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Now, the majority of the people who have disappeared were homeless or runaways. However there have also been reports of travelers and backpackers going missing as well. There is evidence that the two events are related, but we're not sure how. Is Schrecklich testing on them? And if so, why so many? Whatever the cause, we need you to go in and figure this out." Mrs. Jones explained.

Alex's mind was already spinning with different theories, each more disturbing than the last.

"Next is the matter of your alias," she continued, sliding a manila folder across the table "Alex Hudson, son of American multi-millionaire Samuel Hudson, fifty-four, and brother to Sam Hudson, nineteen. Everything you need to know is in that envelope."

All the time Mrs. Jones was speaking Alex was pouring over the contents of the folder. First was the photographs. Mr. Hudson was a handsome man with graying blonde hair and dark eyes and his son Sam was an attractive young man with shaggy golden hair and hazel eyes. The rest was random information that Alex was expected to know, being the son of a very wealthy man. One small piece of information stood out to Alex, though. Mr. Hudson's wife had died around four years ago in a car accident. Alex automatically sympathized with the son, Sam.

Alex was then informed that he would be meeting Mr. Hudson and Sam for lunch that day, then he would spend the rest of the day, and the whole next one as well, with the two men. He and Mr. Hudson would then be leaving on Wednesday morning for a two-week stay in Grauenhaft, about 5 miles south of Straubing.

Alex had those two weeks to discover what was going on without getting caught. He would then contact MI6 and they would come, sweep in, and do whatever necessary to resolve the threat.

Alex wanted to laugh. Since when had that ever happened?

Finally Mrs. Jones dismissed him to go see Smithers.

Alex hurried down the familiar corridor to his old friends office and knocked twice.

A gently accented voice invited him in.

Alex didn't know why he was surprised. He really didn't.

The man standing in front of him looked around 60 years old, with a full head of silver hair, many wrinkles, and a slightly stooped posture. He looked like an English professor.

Nevertheless, when he saw Alex he practically jumped out of his seat with the speed of someone half his age.

Alex could see through the disguise. He knew that a youngish Scottish man was under there somewhere.

After a happy greeting Smithers lifted a small satchel, around the size of a laptop case and set it on the table.

It was, in fact, a laptop. Well, not just a laptop, of course. It was equipped with a tracking device, direct contact to Mrs. Jones, some removable keys that coupled as small explosives or smoke bombs depending on the letter, and a spare battery that could function as a hand grenade.

Alex was thoroughly impressed.

He was also given a phone that he could use anywhere in the world, underwater, or even in space. It momentarily reminded him of Ash, but he shrugged off that thought and thanked Mr. Smithers.

He left the Royal and General with a lot to think about.

When Alex returned to his hotel he quickly packed up and changed his clothes into something more formal, a pair of black slacks and a white button-up. At precisely 12.30 there was a knock at the door. It was a busboy coming to take his luggage and inform Alex that the Hudsons were waiting for him.

When Alex emerged from the hotel there was a black Lincoln Town car waiting for him. As soon as he climbed in he was being zoomed across the city, and a few minutes later they stopped outside a very expensive looking restaurant.

Alex climbed out and made his way to the front door. After entering he was immediately led to a table for three in a far corner of the restaurant. Two of the places were already occupied by the Hudsons.

"Ah, Alex!" cried Mr. Hudson, gesturing the boy to sit. While Alex was taking his seat Mr. Hudson introduced his son. The two boys shook hands. From there Alex did his best to make small talk, and Mr. Hudson was more than happy to speak. Sam was much quieter and Alex got the feeling that the young man was embarrassed. After lunch the three left the restaurant and headed to the apartment the Hudsons stayed at while they were in England.

It was on the top floor of a 50 story building. Actually it _was_ the top floor of a 50 story building. It was decorated in a very modern style which Alex found rather drab. The colors were mainly blacks, blues, whites, and chrome. The room that Alex was going to be staying in was dark blue with a crème colored ceiling.

After Alex settled in he decided to go look for Sam. He didn't have to look far. As soon as he entered the hallway he heard the sounds of a guitar coming from the farthest room on his right. When Alex finally reached the end of the hallway and entered the room he found Sam strumming away at an acoustic guitar, eyes closed. Sam clearly didn't notice Alex, so for a minute Alex just watched the older boy play. He seemed so serene and calm. Alex envied him.

When Sam finally finished the song he opened his eyes and jumped in shock, seeing Alex lounging against the door frame.

There was an awkward silence.

"You're really good…" said Alex finally.

"Uh…thanks…" replied Sam, running his fingers through his pale hair.

"So I take it that you don't want to be an investor." guessed Alex with a small smile.

"Not at all," said Sam, relaxing slightly.

Alex already knew that he and Sam would be getting along rather famously.

That night and the next day passed very quickly. The boys had become fast friends and had spent the day doing teenage boy stuff like playing video games and eating copious amounts of food. It made Alex miss Tom, but he was glad to have a friend who knew what it was like to be different, to be misunderstood. When Wednesday morning rolled around and Alex was preparing to leave, Sam cornered him and made him promise to get in touch as soon as he got back. Alex promised, and meant it.

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><p>I HATE WRITING DIALOGUE! Ok I feel better now. So I really like Sam (I can't tell you much without giving the plot away but I'm conflicted as to what I'm going to do with this character, cause he's going to be back later on.), and in case there is any Glee fans out there, yes I based the looks of my character off of theirs. Mine is way smarter though. Anyway, I am excited to comfirm that there will be YASSEN in the next chapter! And the plot is going to pick up its pace dramatically! Review please!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

New chapter! And you get to meet Schrecklich. (Yassen too!)

Disclaimer: No I don't own anything and I'm broke :)

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><p>At ten o' clock Mr. Hudson and Alex were settling into a private jet for the two hour plane ride to Munich. Alex spent most of the journey cramming last minute details about the Hudsons, and began calling Mr. Hudson "Dad".<p>

After the plane landed in Munich the "father and son" were hurried into a waiting silver Audi for the hour and a half ride north to Grauenhaft. The entire time Alex was pressed against the glass taking in the incredible scenery that made up the countryside, and the small picturesque towns they traveled through.

When they finally arrived Alex was shocked at how small the town was. They were lucky if 500 people lived there. Most of the buildings were designed using classic German architecture, despite the fact that from what he'd read the town was only a few decades old. They passed quickly through the town without stopping.

Five minutes later they reached their destination. The compound was made up of five huge grey warehouse type buildings, a dozen barracks, and a stately white and yellow manor home. The entire group of buildings was surrounded by a twenty foot high barbed wire fence. The only entrance or exit was the main gate. When the car pulled up the gate it automatically opened to admit them. The car pulled in and drove directly to the house. Mr. Hudson and Alex were ushered out and up the stairs to the house, but not before Alex spotted several clearly armed guards. He guessed that was the purpose of the barracks.

As soon as Alex walked in the house he was shocked. The entire place was decorated in bright yellows, greens, and pinks. It was a far cry from Sam's apartment.

The two men were led through the house down several interconnected hallways until they came to a pair of closed double doors. The guard knocked twice then opened the door.

Johannes Schrecklich was sitting at the head of a long oak dining table. Ale's first impression was that the man was nothing like Alex pictured him. He was in his mid-thirties and it was clear that he tall and muscular, despite the fact that the man was sitting. He had short dark brown hair and black eyes. He didn't look like a monster, but Alex knew full well that appearances were deceiving.

When Schrecklich stood he towered over both of the men. Alex guessed that he was around six foot five.

"Samuel Hudson." Schrecklich greeted softly. The shorter man moved forward to shake the tall mans hand.

"And this must be Alex…" Schrecklich practically purred, his eyes roaming freely over the boys form.

Alex felt a wave of disgust but kept his face blank. Schrecklich smiled lustily then turned to Mr. Hudson.

In one swift motion Schrecklich pulled a handgun and aimed it at the older man, Mr. Hudson froze.

"I'm sorry about this Samuel," said Schrecklich, and pulled the trigger.

Alex was frozen momentarily, but recovered quickly enough to rush forward and catch the now profusely bleeding Mr. Hudson.

"Why did you shoot my dad?" Alex cried, not having to act as though he was frightened, but all the while applying pressure to the older mans chest wound.

"That's not your father, Alex Rider." said Schrecklich, signaling to his guards to remove Mr. Hudsons body.

The guards moved forward and roughly picked up the man and carried him out of the room.

Alex remained where he was sitting, his hands still covered in blood. Schrecklich set the gun on the table and began to walk towards him. The boy immediately jumped up and tensed. Schrecklich smiled darkly, stopping directly in front of Alex. Alex glared at him defiantly.

"Alex Rider…" the tall man sighed, reaching forward to stroke the boy's cheek. Alex immediately stepped back.

"How did you know?" Alex asked fiercely

"I've heard of you, you're quite famous," said Schrecklich simply "Besides, I know that Samuel only had one son."

"So are you going to shoot me too?" Alex asked matter-of-factly.

"No," said Schrecklich, smiling again "No, I don't think so. I have other plans for you."

Alex knew deep down what those plans were and he had to force himself not to scream.

Schrecklich advanced ao Alex again, this time not stopping. Alex backed up as far as he could until he was pressed against the wall. Schrecklich leaned down until his face was only inches away from Alex's.

"I want you," he murmured "now." The taller man caressed Alex down his chest and stomach.

Alex felt like throwing up, but he didn't. Instead tried in vain to knee the man in his groin. Schrecklich easily diverted the blow and raised his hand to slap Alex but stopped at the last minute. He leaned in again as to kiss the boy when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

Schrecklich sighed regretfully and stepped away moving to answer the door. Alex slid down the wall, resting his head on his knees trying to control his terror. He couldn't deal with _that_. He'd honestly rather get shot again. He heard Schrecklich speaking in German to whoever had interrupted them and silently thanked whoever it was. He decided to listen in.

_"…about a dozen attempted to escape but only two were successful."_ a soft voice explained.

"_Dammit_!" said Schrecklich angrily

"_Dr. Schlecht also request your presence in sector 2."_ the soft voice added.

He could hear Schrecklich sigh.

_"Fine. Take the boy up to my rooms."_ Schrecklich commanded

_"Yes, sir"_ the voice replied.

Alex listened to Schrecklich's heavy footsteps stomp through the house and waited for whoever was going to take him away.

The boy didn't hear any footsteps and looked up, curious.

"Oh, Alex…" said a familiar voice "I thought you were supposed to be done."

Alex stared up at that pale face, into those ice blue eyes.

"And I thought you were supposed to be dead."

* * *

><p>YASSEN! I love him :) Anyway, what do you think? I kind of let the characters write this one, at least moreso than usual. And don't worry, there is going to be lots of Yassen in the next chapter, which I'm going to write RIGHT NOW!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been a slave to college and work, plus I've had a massive case of writers block. Hopefully I'll get something posted in the next week or two even if I have to sit at this computer night and day. Just kidding…I hope. :D


	8. Chapter 8

Woot! I did it! I know its not too long but for only a few hours I think I did okay.

* * *

><p>Yassen smiled bitterly, but said nothing.<p>

"And what the hell are you doing, working for that maniac?" Alex asked, still dazed.

"I will explain, but first, you need to come with me." the assassin replied slowly, reaching out his arm to help Alex stand. Alex looked at Yassen's gloved hand, and after a moment, grasped it reluctantly.

The Russian pulled Alex to his feet as though the teenager weighed nothing. He readjusted his grip so he had the young man firmly by his upper arm and led him into the hallway.

As Alex was led through the house, he tried to clear his mind. He just saw a man die. It certainly hadn't been the first time but after so long it felt brand new to him. He'd almost been ra…No. He didn't want to think about that. He felt sick to his stomach. And Yassen was alive. What the hell? He practically held the man as he died. Now he was apparently working for another fucking psychopath. Not to mention he looked almost exactly the same as ever with his close-cropped blonde hair and a stoic expression, except maybe a bit healthier. Nothing made sense to Alex. One thing was for sure, the assassin had a lot of explaining to do.

After what seemed like forever, Yassen stopped at a pair of large solid oak double doors with a electronic lock. He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a key card which he slid through the side of the small machine. It made a shrill beeping noise and Alex heard the doors unlock, then Yassen led Alex into the room and shut the door. The room was large and so elaborately decorated in bright colors that it certainly wasn't helping his queasiness. The walls and ceiling were a foul shade of yellow, which was disrupted by several of those horrible modern color block paintings and a vast bay window on the far wall. There was a king bed that stood in the center of the room with horrible seafoam green sheets and blankets. At the foot of the bed there was a large white chest. Other than the bed and the chest the only other furniture in the room was an ancient rocking chair sitting next to the window.

The assassin led Alex to the chair and sat him down. He retreated to the edge of the window and gazed out of it for a long moment before fixing Alex with a blank stare. Alex took this as his cue to question him.

"How are you alive? Where have you been? Did you hear what happened? Why did you send me to Scorpia? Why are you working for this lunatic?" The questions spilled out of Alex before he had time to control them. He felt a flush of embarrassment as Yassen raised his eyebrow slightly at the barrage of questions.

The assassin closed his eyes and took a deep breath before replying.

"That is a very long story, and unfortunately we don't have the time for all that now."

Alex frowned.

"I thought you said that you'd explain!" Alex complained. He knew he sounded like a child but right now he didn't give a damn. He wanted answers.

"And I will," the older man replied smoothly, "But now is not the time. We have maybe twenty minutes before Schrecklich returns and we have more important things to discuss."

Alex knew that Yassen was right. But still. As soon as he got out of this mess he'd demand to know everything. Yassen owed him that.

"At least explain why you're here." Alex asked desperately.

"My employer sent me here. His son was kidnapped while backpacking with his friends," he explained quickly, "If you were paying attention you might have heard me tell Schrecklich that some prisoners escaped. I arranged for my employers son to break out with some other inmates. They'll never find him now though."

"Then why are you still here?" the younger boy inquired.

"My orders were to free my employers son, first and foremost. Afterwards I was instructed to destroy this entire facility and personally kill Schrecklich." Yassen clarified.

"Why?" Alex asked, "What exactly are they doing with the people?"

Yassen smiled coldly before responding.

"You are aware that Schrecklich operates a cosmetics company?"

Alex nodded.

"Have you ever heard of Elizabeth Bathory?" Yassen questioned.

"The lady who bathed in blo…." Alex stopped short, the reality of the situation dawning on him.

"Yes, Alex, Schrecklich is draining people and mixing their blood in with his products." Yassen remarked grimly.

Alex was in shock. The revelation hit him like a truck.

"So little Alex," Yassen began dryly, "Are you going to help me?"

"What do we have to do?"

* * *

><p>Hahaha! Cliffhanger! Oh, as I was writing this some things seemed a little off, but come on, its been like eight months, cut a lady some slack lol. Anywho, R&amp;R :)<p> 


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